feet, she rushed down the beach, seeing nothing, but following the
direction of the cry. Rounding a curve of the beach she came upon a
dirty, half-tumbled down tent. In front of it stood a burly man with
both hands on the shoulders of a young girl, whom he was shaking
violently. So intent was he upon what he was doing, he did not notice
Phil approaching. She saw him shove the girl inside the tent and close
the outside flap. "Now, stay in there till you git tired of it," he
growled as he turned and walked away.

A sound of low sobbing greeted Phil's ears as she came up in front of
the tent and stood waiting, hardly knowing what to do. The sobs
continued, with a note of pain in them that went straight to Phil's
tender heart. The sight or sound of physical suffering made a special
appeal to her. It was Phyllis's secret ambition some day to study
medicine, an ambition which she had confided to no one save Madge.
Although the figure she had seen was almost that of a woman, the
sobbing sounded like that of a child. There was no other noise in the
tent, so Phil knew the girl was alone.

"Won't you please come out?" she called softly, not knowing what else
to do or say. "Tell me what is grieving you so. I am only a girl like
yourself, and I would like to help you."

"I dare not come out," the other girl answered. "My father said I must
stay in here."

Phil opened the flap of the old tent and walked inside. "What is the
matter?" she inquired gently, bending over the figure lying on the
ground and trying to lift her.